DESCRIPTION: The National Business Coalition on Health wants to advance the understanding purchasers, researchers, and other stakeholders have on the current methodologies available for the collection, measurement, and use of hospital performance information by convening a conference. "NBCH Template to Guide Hospital Data Initiatives" will be held in Chicago on April 10-11, 2003. The overall conference objective is to develop general guidelines for public and private sector hospital data collection and reporting opportunities, including best practices for each method and the conditions in which they are applicable related to providers, government, purchasers and business coalitions, consumers and other health care stakeholders. This compliments the value based performance initiatives of NBCH to support purchaser and consumer uses of information for health care decision making. Approximately 100 people will be invited and will represent coalitions that are using hospital performance data in different ways. NBCH will develop a hospital performance information report for health care business coalitions and other stakeholders. A tool kit is also being considered pending availability of funds to develop. Dissemination is primarily through NBCH newsletter, annual meeting and Web site.